The Lowestoft Players have invited members of the public to be part of the magical world of Pantomime by launching a competition to Name Our Dames for our upcoming production of Cinderella.
The Ugly Sisters are two of the main characters featured in this all-time family favourite. Although the sisters are mean, they are also comical and are often played by men.
The Ugly Sisters – Donna Kebab (Lawrie Groom) and Shish Kebab (Stephen Clark) from the Lowestoft Players 2012 production of Cinderella
Credit Stephen Wilson
Script writers and friends Andrew Groom and Ryan Takman, both 29, have been hard at work since May on this project, but they are yet to come up with suitable names for these very important characters.
We asked Andrew and Ryan what qualifications are needed to write a Pantomime?
“A love of Pantomime and a love of terrible jokes” replied Ryan.
“We’ve watched pantomimes performed by The Players for as long as we can both remember. We joined the society in 2010 (Ryan) and 2014 (Andrew). Mostly we do all things technical – sound, lighting, video and special effects. During our spare time during the festive season, our favourite pastime is to watch pantomimes being performed up and down the country, so we’ve watched many. Hopefully this makes us qualified!”
We also asked how they went about writing the script for Cinderella?
“We started by reviewing all of the previous Cinderella scripts performed by The Players” Andrew Groom informed us.
“Some elements are essential such as the key story and what the audience expects to see. We then considered what we could add to make it topical and comical” he added.
A pantomime script is typically 70 to 80 pages long and includes the lyrics of the songs chosen by the production team. Sometimes these need to be altered to tie in with the story.
This is the second Pantomime script written by Andrew and Ryan, the first was for Aladdin in 2020.
Previous Ugly Sister names have included Donna and Shish Kebab (2012) and Silica and Sellulite (2000).
“The two names need to relate as a pair, perhaps have a play on words and possibly be something topical” explained Andrew.
The winner of the competition will receive two free tickets to see Cinderella in January.
To enter members of the public are being asked to:
Like The Lowestoft Players’ Facebook page, this will ensure that entrants stay updated on the results
Comment on Facebook with creative and catchy names for the Ugly Sisters
Tag a friend who they would like to bring to the Pantomime should they win the competition
The competition closes at midnight on Thursday 14 September 2023.
The winning entry will be selected based on originality, humour, and how well the names capture the essence of these quirky characters.
For those not on Facebook, entries should be posted to: Name Our Dames, The Players Theatre, Battery Green Road, Lowestoft NR32 1DE
Please write suggestions on a piece of paper along with your name and contact details, including a telephone number.
So go on, let your imagination run wild to give the Ugly Sisters the perfect names for 2024.
Cinderella will be performed by The Lowestoft Players at The Marina Theatre, Lowestoft from Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 January 2024.
Tickets can be booked by visiting - www.lowestoftpanto.co.uk or from the Marina Theatre’s Box Office on 01502 533200.